13 wins in 13 games. That is the overwhelming balance of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the only team still undefeated this season, and with their triumph this Wednesday against the 76ers of Philadelphia 114-106 achieved the sixth-best start in NBA history.
The 13-0 Cavaliers have only five records ahead of the 24-0 Golden State Warriors (2015-2016), the 15-0 Houston Rockets (1993-1994) the Washington Capitols (1948-1949), and the Dallas Mavericks (2002-2003) and the Boston Celtics (1957-1958).
Also Read: Herro scores 40 points with 10 triples, but the Heat loses by an incredible error in overtime in Detroit
The Cavaliers left behind with their 13-0 other sets that had reached 12-0 the Chicago Bulls (1996-1997) and the Seattle Supersonics (1982-1983).
As a reference for those still ahead, Golden State reached a 73-9 (best in history) and lost the Finals (precisely to LeBron James’s Cavaliers), Houston won the ring, Washington and Boston were finalists and Dallas reached the Western final.
The Warriors’s 24-0 is still a long way off, but the Cavaliers’s next two games, at home against the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, invite us to think that 15-0 has it within reach.
A hypothetical 16-0 would already be another story, as that day they will be quoted no less than with the current champions, the Celtics, in a game that will be played in Boston and that will count for the Emirates NBA Cup after the greens already stumbled in this tournament in their first meeting
Mathematics and conjectures aside, and not forgetting that there is a world ahead this season, it is undoubted that the Cavaliers have already earned the right to be considered as aspirants with capital to the top in this NBA course.
Under the baton of Kenny Atkinson, who has not been able to start his way as Cleveland coach better, the Cavaliers have perfectly fit all their pieces by getting the maximum possible performance from their figure quartet Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
With 12-0, they appeared in Philadelphia and with an a priori affordable match against a rival with a disastrous start to the season (now 2-9) and who also had none of his three stars tonight Joel Embiid and Paul George by rotation after the back-to-back and Tyrese Maxey due to injury.
Still, it wasn’t a walk for Cleveland as the Sixers commanded in the first half for 54-48.
After the break the logic was imposed little by little but the Cavaliers could not take off, they went through trouble until the end and ultimately sentenced the triumph of Mitchell’s hand, which had not been very thin until then but who put three triples in a row and a tray in the outcome for 11 points that proved definitive.
Mitchell sweated the triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists and Garland contributed 25 points, 5 rebounds, and six assists. In addition, Allen added 11 points and 12 rebounds and Mobley scored 14 points and 7 rebounds.
The Sixers shined rookie Jared McCain with 34 points, 6 of 13 in triples and 10 assists.
